Name/Title
Police Department ScrapbookEntry/Object ID
1988.054.0017Scope and Content
Harry L. Forney's police department scrapbook. Update 2019: An ivory colored padded scrapbook with two parallel decorative gold engraved lines around the outer edges of the front cover. Plastic binding strips, no spine. Scrapbook pages are adhesive type and acidic. This scrapbook is a compilation of photographs, certificates, clippings, awards, correspondence, etc. compiled by Henry Forney relating to his career primarily as a policeman.
Inside front cover note in blue ink, "the three full page pictures have the officers names on the back." At top of this page is a black and white photo of 5 men in policeman uniforms standing in the back row. There are 5 men kneeling in a row in front of them. Four are wearing uniforms of various types and one man is wearing a suit and hat, date written on photo, 5/30/1946. Names of men in front row:
Neal C. Boyd, PA
Elmer B. Wilk, Chief of Police
Tony Rathkie, U. S. Army, MP
Elmer Lobb, U. S. Army, MP
John Terrill, undersheriff
Back Row:
Ralph Mentink, Patrolman
Lloyd Woodbury, "
Jack Garber, "
Miles Barney, "
Harry L. Forney, Sgt.
Page 1-Law Enforcement Officers Training School certificate of graduation issued to Harry L. Forney, 5/16/1945.
Page 2-Black and white photograph of Harry L. Forney, Ralph L Mentink, Earl Townsend, Jack Garber, Chief Elmer B. Wilk. In uniform and standing outside, 5/30/1947.
Page 3-Black and white photograph of Earl Townsend, Jack Garber, Elmer B. Wilk, Sgt. Harry L. Forney, Ralph L. Mentink, Neil Boyd, Highway Patrol. All men are in uniforms, three are standing outside in a single row, and three are kneeling in front of them, 5/30/1947.
Page 4-A black and white photograph of the Rawlins police force in 1948. Seven men are in uniform and two men are in suits. There is a black dog by the last man on the right. Note on side: "Elmer Wilk, Chief of Police." They are standing on the steps of City Hall.
Page 5-A black and white photograph of a large group of men and one woman standing in rows on steps. There are numbers written on the people with their names correlating to names on the back of the photo. Written on lower edge of photo: 1950 Finger Print School. Rawlins City Hall.
Page 6-Police Protective Association of Wyoming Finger Print School certificate issued to Harry L. Forney, 3/24/1950.
Page 7-A letter to Lt. Forney from Mr. Grimshaw in Burnage, Manchester re: police badges. (he collected them from all over the world); a clipping of Mr. Grimshaw with some of his collection.
Page 8-A newspaper clipping and a black and white photo about Mr. Harry Grimshaw and his collection of police badges.
Page 9-A black and white photo of 10 men in police uniforms standing on the steps and sidewalk of City Hall with one man in a suit standing to the left. Note on side left of page: "Al Wilson Chief of Police,1954." Names of the individual men are on the back of the photo.
Page 10-A certificate issued to Lt. Harry L. Forney for Law Enforcement Officers Training School, 9/10/1956.
Page 11-Black and white snapshot of the Law Enforcement Officers Training School, with blue ink arrows highlighting Forney and McFarland in the large group; clipping on practical joke regarding "wire-tapping" of city hall, 3/14/1956; Clipping praising chief of police and staff regarding the return of stolen hubcaps.
Page 12-Black and white photo of the Rawlins Police Department in 1959. Shown are front row: Lt. Jack Garber, Rosalie McDaniels, Ted Hyatt, Al Epp, Chief of Police Harry L. Forney at center; back row: Allen Sallade, Dave Marquith, Ralph Mintinker?, Al Wilson.
Page 13-Clipping on Forney and Garber observing 18th anniversary with police department. Photo clipping shows names and length of service, 1/17/1959.
Page 14-Black and white photo of Sgt. Robbs pinning a badge on E. W. Oehmig, with Mrs. Oehmig beside him. Date written on front,1959.
Page 15-A typed letter from I. W. Oehmig, General Manager of Cavalier Corporation, Chattanooga, TN, dated 12/28/1959 in which he sends two black and white photos of Chief Harry L. Forney to him. In both photos Chief Forney is holding a badge that was presented to Mr. Oehmig for some reason. Writing on page, "This is the picture of the badge sent to Waldo Hurley for the above occasion."
Page 16-A certificate issued to Lt. Harry L. Forney for attending Law Enforcement Officers Training School, from 2/24/1960-2/25/1960, signed by John Terrill.
Page 17-Clippings: "Harry Forney, Jack Garber End Long Careers as Police Officer." Second clipping headlined "Two Police Officers Resign Here," articles detail their careers and gives other biographical data, dated 11/20,1960.
Page 18-Black and white photograph in white tag frame showing three men dressed in suits and examining a watch on the hand of Lt. Garber at left, Mayor Leland U. Grieve at center, and Chief Forney at right, dated 1/6/1961. Written at side left on page: "This was taken at Garber and my retirement dinner at the Ferris Sage Room."
Page 19-Printed invitation to the retirement dinner of Harry. L. Forney and Jack Garber, 1/7/1961 (notice discrepancy in dates); a card expressing appreciation for Mr. Forney's service, signed "the City of Rawlins."
Page 20-A page containing 7 identification cards of various types for Mr. Forney:
Truck driver-1937
Deputy Sheriff-1941
Policeman-1944,1945,1948,1957
FCC Radio Permit, 1951
Page 21-A page containing 6 cards of various types with the donor's name and a receipt for dues and subscription for the WSEA Reporter for year 1967.
The cards include: Police Protective Association of WY, 1946-1947
Honorary Chiefs of Police card to Lt. Harry L. Forney, from NJ, 1950
Wyoming State Employees Association membership card, 1966
Sheriff's Office of Morris Co., NJ, 1950-1952, courtesy card
Selective Service Card, 1942
Wyoming State Employees Association membership card, 1967
Page 22-A certificate issued to Harry L. Forney by the Peace Officers Standard and Training Commission as a Certified Peace Officer, issued 1975
Page 23-A certificate of service issued to Harry Forney for services rendered to the State of WY from 10/1/1966-10/1/1971, signed by governor.
Page 24-Obituary for Jack G. Garber, 12/1979.
Page 25-A typed two page document by Harry L. Forney entitled: "With Whom I Worked With" Commencing 1/11/1941"
Chief of Police worked under: Homer Thompson, 1941; Elmer B. Wilk, 1945; Albert L. Wilson, 1951; William McFarland, 1955-1956
"I was appointed Chief of Police, 1/1947."
List of men Harry Forney worked with on the force during his 20 years. He states that he first went to work as a police officer 7/1/1936 and was paid $150 monthly. Jerry O'Driscoll was Chief of Police. Other man on the force was Ray Ryan. On 7/15/1936 they hired Elmer B. Wilk (a 3 man force and the chief of police). He relates his employment changes due to political elections of being hired and being let go with the change of administrations.
Fall of 1940 was hired by a new mayor, Clarence A. Conyers, and he returned to police force, 1/11/1941. He describes his promotions and ends with his retirement of Jack Garber and himself on 1/11/1961. He states, "this was a very rewarding and interesting 20 years." Signed by Harry L. Forney.
Note: There is overage from this scrapbook in overage file, File Cabinet 7, Drawer 5.Collection
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